In the gentle glow of the nightlight, our twin babies, nestled in their cribs, gaze up with eyes wide open, eager for their nightly journey through stories. At ten months old, they are on the cusp of language, absorbing sounds and syllables from the two worlds they were born into. This nightly ritual is more than a lullaby; it’s a bridge between cultures, a tapestry woven from the threads of my Japanese heritage and my wife’s Korean lineage.
Our bedtime tales are a carefully curated collection of folklore and fables from Japan and Korea. Each story is a vessel of cultural lessons, carrying the wisdom of generations and the spirit of our ancestors. The Japanese “Momotaro”, or “Peach Boy”, teaches them about bravery and kindness, while the Korean “Heungbu and Nolbu” imparts the virtues of generosity and the perils of greed.
As I recount the adventures of Momotaro, with his animal friends setting out to vanquish ogres, I can see the sparks of courage light up in our babies’ eyes. My wife’s melodic Korean lulls them into the world of Heungbu, where the swallow brings both a lesson and a reward for kind hearts. These stories, rich with cultural significance, are the roots we plant for our children, grounding them in the heritage of both their mother and father.
We hope that as they grow, the morals and tales from both shores of the East Sea will guide them in becoming citizens of the world, fluent in the language of kindness, courage, and understanding. Our bilingual bedtime stories are more than just a routine; they are the seeds of cultural identity for our little ones, a gift of heritage that they will carry forward into their bright, boundless futures.
Atsushi's Life in Korea 